Title: Structural Biology of G Protein-Coupled Receptors
Abstract: My research interests are focused on a deeper understanding of the structure and function of biological membranes and membrane proteins and their role in human health and disease. Over the years, I have been effectively combining developments of cutting-edge technologies with their applications to structural studies of biological macromolecules. The primary research targets in my laboratory are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) that constitute the largest human membrane protein superfamily with over 800 members. GPCR-mediated signaling pathways play crucial roles in normal physiological processes as well as pathophysiological conditions, making these receptors promising targets for drug development. Although our knowledge of GPCR function has greatly improved with the determination of structures of over 230 unique receptors to date, there are still many open questions in this field.
In this talk, I will discuss recent key technology advancements, including Serial Femtosecond Crystallography (SFX), cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and microcrystal electron diffraction (microED), and provide examples of their application in my laboratory to uncover high-resolution structures of new receptors, gain mechanistic insights in their function, and facilitate structure-based ligand discovery.
Bio: Vadim Cherezov is a professor of Chemistry and Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Southern California. He received PhD in biophysics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in 1997 and completed his postdoctoral training at the Ohio State University. In 2009, Dr. Cherezov obtained his first faculty position at the Scripps Research Institute, and in 2015, he moved to the University of Southern California as a founding faculty member of the Bridge Institute. Dr. Cherezov is an expert in structural biology of membrane proteins involved in human health and disease. He made critical contributions toward the development of methods for membrane protein crystallization in lipidic environment and serial crystallography at synchrotrons and X-ray Free Electron Lasers. His research spans structure-function studies of 46 different membrane proteins, including 33 human G protein-coupled receptors, most of which are important drug targets. Dr. Cherezov has been named a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics each year since 2015, and last year he received the Ester Dornsife endowed chair in Biological Sciences.
Hosts: Zach Ziolkowski & Carly Masonheimer